"You Wouldn't Dare" was a decent story, but not as good as I had hoped. The main character, Junie, is somewhat self-absorbed and selfish, and can be rather oblivious to things around her, including events that involve her friends. That being said, there are some rather enjoyable characters in the book -- especially Tallulah, Lucy, Milo, and Graham -- and some rather good, and often amusing, interactions among the characters. There are some very poignant moments in the story. The reader will witness the personal growth of several of the characters, including some surprising actions or decisions.

My favorite part of the story is the excerpts from Midsummer Madness, the summer theater production that is being staged (and which is of extreme importance to Junie), and which is a mashup of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and Romeo and Juliet.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

"You Wouldn't Dare" was a wonderful young adult romance that was more than what I bargained for. Great read.

I loved Juniper Nash! She was the perfect about of witty/sarcastic and hilarious. I felt like I wanted to be in her friend group. This book touches on what it’s like to have an absent parent, the death of a parent, and starting from scratch and ending up with a small community that are more family than neighbors. I adored this book.

Definitely worth the read.

I enjoyed this author’s debut, so I was intrigued by her sophomore novel. Although it’s no longer summer (as of writing this review), this book sounded like a fun summer read, which is what I needed in this moment. And I unexpectedly fell in love with it! In You Wouldn’t Dare, a summer can be full of changes that seem devastating — but work out for the best.

Last summer, Junie had a fling with one of her best friends Graham. Little did she know, their keeping their relationship a secret would wreck his life. Now, their friendship is awkward at best as they navigate going back to normal. This summer, though, is full of other changes: Junie and her mother are moving in with her boyfriend and his daughter Tallulah; Junie’s best friend Milo has a new girlfriend; and her dad might not make it to her summer community theater show after all, despite the work she’s put into recruiting people.

There was a plot in this book, but what I really appreciated was getting to know all of the characters so well. The author described this book as hoping to capture the feeling of a Sarah Dessen novel. I’ve read only one of her books a really long time ago, but I feel like I understand what she means and I think she definitely fulfilled that wish. You Wouldn’t Dare just felt so refreshing amidst a landscape of trope-ified stories. Instead, it’s messy and dramatic, not for the sake of tropes but for character development, and I loved it.

I really loved the characters and the tightly knit feeling of the island. Junie has grown up with her single mother, but they’ve always had such a solid support system. Junie in particular has a group of best friends that she’s been friends with almost her entire life, although she’s closest to Milo as Lucy is closest to Graham. I loved reading about her relationship with each of her friends, not just the awkwardness with Graham but also the way that she knows Milo as well as she knows herself. She also grows closer to Tallulah, her soon-to-be stepsister who despises her. They both learn to get over their differences and open to the other.

This book was also just a lot of fun! Junie is a part of the Drama Club and participates in the summer community theater show every year. This year, they plan to put on a play that requires a large cast; she strong-arms Milo into recruiting his basketball team and other people. There are a lot of hijinks, and I liked reading about the effort put into preparing for the play.

The romance was also so cute. Markum writes dialogue very well, especially between the protagonist and the love interest, as well as the tension between them. Junie never knows how to approach Graham now after unknowingly playing a part in the worst moment of his life. Now, the two of them are on good terms but not quite knowing what to do with the other. She still feels guilty and refuses to act on her feelings for him, which results in a lot of angst throughout the book.

I flew through this book in two sittings, unable to put it down. The characters were just so compelling, and I loved Junie’s character development. Both the friend group and the romance were so well-written; I can’t wait to see what’s next from Samantha Markum. You Wouldn’t Dare is a fun read for summer (or for when you’re missing summer), full of drama and new changes. I definitely recommend it for anyone on the lookout for a good contemporary!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

An alright read. I wanted to feel the angst of Graham and Juniper, but didn't. I wanted to connect with the story, but just was not very memorable.

When I first started this one, I wasn't so sure. Junie seems like a very immature Senior. It's the last summer before the last year of high school. Junie starts as whiny, needy and prone to crying fits. She's overdramatic, which everyone implies makes her an amazing actor, and seems to hold all the boys around her on a string as she jerks them around.

But Junie's life is about to implode. She works all summer for a community theater project and this year it's dicey if it's going to go with the small turn out they've had to start. Plus her friends are being weird, acting like she's done something wrong. Especially one friend, which she has done something wrong and she feels horrible and is still trying to fix it. Add to the stress is her mom finally settling down and maybe moving them across town. It's a lot going at once and it slowly starts to unravel Junie and her well contained small town life.

But in the midst of the turmoil, Junie has to decide who she is. Is she a leader? Is she someone who gets things done? Will she do what it takes to keep her friends together or will she realized a new friend group for senier year is better? It was interesting to be with Junie as she goes through it all trying to figure out who she is. I really liked the love interest and his monumental amount of patience. The ending was adorable and worth the wait. I really liked this one!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book

I feel guilty rating this book as I feel it's unfair to do so. I barely made it through this book as I'm not sure I can connect with YA at all anymore. I was so frustrated throughout this book and, at one point, even screamed JUST TALK IT OUT. But alas, that would not move the plot along.

<i>you wouldn't dare</i> solidifies samantha markum as a new favorite author. i cannot BELIEVE this doesn't come out for another 6 months.

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i loved the friendship between milo and junie, it honestly stole the show for me. i loved so much about this. i'm absolutely obsessed with the way markum writes imperfect main characters and the men who love them. i'm obsessed with the communities around the characters. i'm obsessed with the best friend dynamics. i am so obsessed.

i am so in love with the way markum crafts the relationships between characters. in <i>this may end badly</i> it's not enemies to lovers, it's falling for the enemy's cousin. in <i>you wouldn't dare</i> it's not best friends to lovers, it's friend's best friend to lovers. i am so obsessed with these dynamics! this makes more sense if you've read the books, obviously, but it's SO fascinating. i am loving the mild twists to the classic tropes that are popular right now! i compare the relationship in <i>this may end badly</i> to a "best friend's brother" kind of dynamic, and i am tempted to do the same for this book! even though it's a friend group of four and they're both in the friend group, it's DIFFERENT!!!!! trust me.

and BECAUSE of this ^^^^ dynamic being so prevalent you get some very good "jealous" tension between the love interest and the guy that the main character is also somewhat obsessed with. it feels so human. even when you KNOW there's no relationship there, it's not a love triangle, and it never was, but sometimes it feels that way, samantha. you're so good at this particular dynamic.

thank you to st. martin's press and samantha markum for an arc!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from St. Martin’s Press and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A light, lovely summery read. .

This was such a great summer read! I've read this authors other novel and REALLY enjoyed it, but this may be my favorite! I loved the relationship between Junie and Graham and getting to read their story was so special. I can't wait for this to release so I can buy a physical copy because that cover is EVERYTHING!

What a delightful hug of a book. Junie and Graham are adorable and just sparkle with romantic tension every time they're together. Graham totally has my heart. While Junie is a bit of a mess at times (she lives up to her love of drama!), her love for her family and friends is fierce and you can't help but root for her. I loved Milo, Lucy, and Tallulah and how the friendships in the story felt so true to life, fights and all.

You Wouldn't Dare is a story of romance, friendship, and pure chaos. Samantha Markum does a wonderful job painting the picture of the South Side, the North Side and of Juniper Nash's wild summer with her friends, Milo, Lily, and Graham. There was plenty of hijinks to keep the reader interested all while rooting for Graham and Junie to be happy. Markum did a great job at giving you characters to root for. I loved the summer vibes that is throughout this novel which made me want to dip my toes in the sand.

This is the 2nd book I've had the pleasure of reading by this author and it certainly will not be the last.

I loved this May End Badly so I was looking forward to this one. I love Samantha’s writing style and this cover is too cute. It’s such a fun read and the characters development was on point. I highly recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC.

Okay WOW this was so different than This May End Badly but I really liked it!!! Major beach vibes! I wish I read this at the beginning (not the end) of summer. Since I loved This May End Badly so much, I hit request on NetGalley as soon as it dropped. Literally didn’t even read the summary.

I really liked this!! Juniper’s voice was so strong and the summery feel made me hate this never-ending heat just a ₗᵢₜₜₗₑ lessᵎ Graham was a tough nut to crack, but he was such a softie. I was definitely most excited to see the bond grow between Junie and Talulah (found family!!).

I did find the way everyone and her mother made her be the bigger person in nearly every scenario where . I stan a petty queen and I absolutely adored when she went all Harper Valley PTA on those bullies at the diner. Air that dirty laundry!! She was flawed but I definitely saw a lot of myself in her.

I also think it was a bit odd to say that she was treating Milo like a boyfriend with no blame being directed his way. He was the one in those relationships and he chose to put Junie first!! Definitely not the most healthy relationship on her end, but that street went both ways. It all worked out in a good way, but I felt bad for Junie, for a while there, she was being dragged at every damn turn.

Overall, I’ll definitely be grabbing the audiobook when it’s released. The plot was fun and the second chance kept me guessing for a while there (definitely juicy👀). There were mild Shakespeare and theater kid vibes, so I can see fans of When You Get the Chance and Long Story Short liking You Wouldn’t Dare!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

You Wouldn't Dare was such a fun read! It follows Junie during a life changing summer as she navigates her renewed feelings for her friend months after they spent last summer being more than friends.

Junie even though a little dramatic at times was a lovable character with a flare for theatre! It's rare to find books that has a lot of characters that all have their own personalities and are meaningful. I was a big fan of all the emotion and bonding in their friendships and hardships.

I loved it, I loved it, I loved! 5 stars all the way!

You Wouldn't Dare by Samantha Markum is the perfect kind of teen read. It has a flawed, but lovable main character. A group of friends who have been together since early childhood. A small, beachy town full of eccentric characters. Some big changes in the main characters life that leads to major growth.

I'm a sucker for the awkward teen moments in life. I love a good hidden crush that is truly crushing to the MC, yet oh so obvious to those closest to her. In this book the MC Junie keeps having to deal with changes. First it's her mom wanting to move from her childhood home. Then it's the not-so-friendly daughter of her mom's boyfriend invading her space. Among other things is a best friend that is ghosting her, a dad she hasn't seen in awhile and a fragile friendship she's terrified of breaking. All of this is handled with a generous helping of humor.

You Wouldn't Dare is exact kind of book I like to see my young tween/teen daughters reading. This book really highlights the importance of strong friendships. Most of the book is pretty PG. There is some scenes of teen drinking which I found to be handled in a realistic way. There's no drug use or explicit sex scenes. What you get is a feel good story that makes you wish to be a part of this town.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and I'm choosing to leave this review voluntarily. I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to get into the hands of my children. I can't wait to read more by Samantha Markum.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press & Wednesday Books for an advanced readers copy of You Wouldn’t Dare in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Accomplished and I was so excited to receive an ARC of Samantha Markum’s newest book, it did not disappoint!
Markum has a way of writing really amazing relationships, friendships, romantic, family. As she mentioned in her Acknowledgements this felt like a love letter and just made this book feel so special.
This book was like if Gilmore Girls was set on a Florida beach. The banter in this book was unmatched, the dialogue between Junie and her friends made me literally laugh out loud.
The romance in this book was so cute and I was rooting for Junie and Graham the whole time. But this book is more then just a romance, Junie’s relationship with Tallulah was such a great thing to see grow. The way she acknowledges her mother and the town that raised her made this book feel so special and heartwarming. And the friendships in this book are unmatched!

You Wouldn't Dare delivered a full dose of cuteness. Junie and Graham were both so well developed and the challenges of friends to lovers, were really well handled and relatable.
In addition to the romance that I was rooting so hard for, setting and writing style really kept me hooked. This has been so much fun and I wish Samantha Markum the best with this release.

If you enjoy lighthearted, lively YA contemporary, you absolutely need to add this to your TBRs.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the setting and the favour aspect, but a lot of the book felt surface level. The play takes up a lot of the first ~70% of the book but then all of a sudden it's over in the blink of an eye. I also felt we didn't get the know the characters that deeply, and it felt quite long/slow despite supposedly being only 370 pages. It's a solid summer story though, and I did like the friendship side of things.

I tagged this as romance, but that's an aspect of this young adult novel that is also very strongly about friendship, and family.

Though it doesn't come out until March, I couldn't resist taking a peek, as I'd really enjoyed the author's debut novel. Markum writes so strongly about friendship, and that is also the case here. Right off the bat we're given a tapestry of relationships, each one with its own rollercoaster ups and downs. Markum keeps the pace fast as Junie, who is a drama lover (and a bit of a diva) is loudly devastated when her mom's new boyfriend wants the two families to live together preparatory to marriage--which means Junie has to live with Paul's glum, angry daughter, Tallulah.

Junie has just embarked into closer relationships with boys, backing off after a rather awful failure that wasn't her fault. Boys as friends, boys as more than friends, parents, cheating, gay and bi relationships, kids pairing up, all get their innings. (So does underage drinking.) In the center of the tapestry is Shakespear, pulling it all together with a sufficiently dramatic climax.

I really look forward to seeing what this author does next.